viii Introductory. 



There is no country in Africa more isolated and cut off 

 than are the territories I write of, and, in the parts away 

 from the townships and settled districts, the hunter and 

 traveller will rind the country and people in the primeval 

 state they were before Europeans first settled in these 

 regions. 



In this volume I write rather pointedly and emphatically 

 on some subjects connected with sport, and I lay great 

 stress on the iniquity of firing long-range shots at game 

 when it is usually not difficult to get fairly close and do 

 good work. My reason for doing so is that such a lot of 

 rash and careless shooting takes place that many harmless 

 animals are sent off to die a slow and lingering death, 

 unless they have the good fortune to be killed quickly by 

 some prowling lion or leopard that may come on them. 



I do not lay claim, especially in my earlier days of 

 hunting, to bagging everything I fired at ; but, with 

 experience, I found that it pays to get to close quarters 

 and make certain of my shot, with the consequence that 

 I hardly ever lose anything I fire at nowadays. 



The beginner is apt to get excited, and shoot carelessly, 

 without taking pains to align his sights on a certain spot, 

 and he usually thinks it sufficient if he manages to hit the 

 beast anywhere in its body ; but this is not good shooting, 

 and neither will it lead to clean killing. What he should do is 

 to pick the exact spot and aim at that ; so close quarters are 

 necessary if he is to see the exact angle at which the game 

 is standing. It is all a matter of angle ; for game is not 

 always found waiting broadside on, and many positions are 

 presented to the hunter. 



A good range for antelopes is 100 to 150 yards ; and for 

 large game like elephant, rhino, or buffalo, a range of 

 sixty or seventy yards is best, as the first bullet is the 

 all-important one ; and the subsequent following up of a 

 wounded dangerous beast is not so risky as when long 

 shots are fired. 



It is perhaps needless to remark that animals styled 

 ''dangerous game" are seldom dangerous until they are 



